68 



FLORA HOMCEOPATHICA. 



ix. 8, 2), but the nature of his work did not lead him to say 

 anything of its medicinal uses. There can be no question, we 

 presume, that the ' Papaveris lachryma' of Celsus was Opium, 

 that is, the concrete juice of the Poppy. He prescribes it on 

 many occasions, both externally and internally. For example, 

 as an ingredient along with hyoscyamus, burnt lead, and other 

 ingredients, for an emollient plaster to be applied in arthritic 

 pains, and as an injection, with alum and henbane, for earache, 

 etc. The famous Methodist, Caelius Aurelianus, is very guarded 

 in his use of opiates, and he appears to approve of the opinion 

 of those who held that Poppy does not induce sleep, but 

 oppression of the senses, 'Papavera autem pressuram non 

 somnum faciunt.' Dioscorides is the first authority that 

 gives a detailed account of Opium and its uses in medicine. 

 Treating of the cultivated Poppy, he says, that its juice is very 

 congealing, incrassative, and 'desiccative, when taken in small 

 quantity ; to the size of a vetch, is anodyne, soporific, concoc- 

 tive, and is useful in coughs and cceliac affections. Taken in 

 greater quantity, it proves injurious, inducing letharsv and 

 death ; it is beneficial in headache, when rubbed in with rose 

 oil ; and in earache, when injected with almond oil, saffron, and 

 myrrh ; in inflammation of the eyes, with roasted yelk of an 

 egg and saffron ; and for erysipelas and wounds, with vinegar ; 

 for gout, with a woman's milk and saffron ; and when applied 

 as a suppository, it induces sleep. The best kind is that which 

 is dense, has a heavy stupifying smell, is bitter to the taste, 

 readily incorporating with water, smooth, white, not rough 

 nor grumous, nor moulding like wax in the process of straining ; 

 when laid in the sun softening, and when applied to a lamp not 

 burning with a smoky flame, and after being extinguished, pre- 

 serving its powers in its smell. He then mentions se'veral 

 modes of adulterating it, which were practised in his time, and 

 then adds, it is roasted for ophthalmic medicines upon a recent 

 shell, until it becomes soft and of a tawny colour. Erasistratus 

 says that Diagoras condemned the use of it in diseases of the 



